-L 1 s.X.l~_I-,-.-~----,-Sa~ls_Jacrijicc. _ -,----~- A We find by the fpoiles,rhatthcPhilifiimsh:!d fomcbmds with lfrael which are J-----! nor recorded: After the thunder had feared rhemintl)-'1 peace,and reilirution of all ~ the bordering Cities, from Ekron to Garh, they had'raken new heart, and fo beOaved Ifrael,rhat they had neitherweapon nor Smith left among it them, yer even in rhis miferable nakedndfe of Ifrael, have they horh fought, and overcome. Now mighryouhl\•e feen the unarmed lfraelires marching with theirSiings,2nd Plough- {\aves,andHooks, and Forks, and other inllruments of their husbandry, a~aintl a mighty and well furnifhed enemy,and returning llded both with Armes and Vi.:to. ry. No Armour is ofproofeagainll the Almighty, neither is he unweaponed, that caries the revenge ofGod: There is the fame difadvantage in our fpirituall conflic1s; we arc turned naked to principalities and powers ; whilfl we goe under the conduct Jl ofthe Prince ofour peace,we cannot but be bold and "ietorious. Vain men think to over-power God with munition and multitude: The Phili. llims are not any way more llrong,rhen in conceit :Thirty rhoufand Chariots,fixe rhoufand Horfemen,Foormen like the fand for nomber,makes them fcorn lfrad no lelfe,rhen Ifrael feares them.When I fee the miraculous fuccelfe,which had blelfed the Ifradires,in all their late confliCts with rhefe very Philillims, with the Ammonites, I cannot burwonder, how they ~ould feare: They,which in the time oftheir fin found God ro raife fuch Trophees over their enemies, run now into Caves, and Rocks,and Pits, to hide them from the faces ofmen, when they found God reconciled,and themfdves penitent. No Ifraelire bur harh fomecowardly bloudin him : Ifwe had no feare,f:tith.would have no mallery,yet rhefc fearfull!fraelites fhall cur c the throats ofthofe confident Philillims : Doubt and relolution are normeet meafuresof our fuccetfe: A prefumpruous confidencegoes commonly bleeding hpme, when an humble feare returns in triumph. Feare drives thofe Ifradites,which daro lhew their heads,our ofthe Caves unto Saul, and makesthcm cling unrorheir new Kina: How troublefome were the beginnings of Sa!lls honour! Surely, ifth~t man halnor exceeded Ifrael no lelfe in courage,then in frature,he had now hid himfdfe in a Cave,which before hid himfelfe among the fluff".- But now, though the JfraelireS ran a(vayfrom him, yet he ran not away fro r11 them : It was not any doubt of Sauls valour,that pur his people to their heeles,ir wa~ehe abfence of Samuel; Ifrhe Prophethad come up,Ifraelwould never have run aw:ry from their King; Whiles I they had :iSamuel alone,they were never well till they had a Saul, now they have a D s..,./,thcyareas far from conrentmenr,becaufetheywant aS.unuei;unlelfc both joyn 1 rogerh<r, they think there can be no fafety. Where the Temporal! and Spiriruall Stare combmenor rogether,there can follow nothing but dillratlion in the peqple: The Prophets receive and deliver the will of God,Kings e.ecute it: The Prophets I are direCted by God, the people are direCted by their K.ings. Where men doe. not fee God before them in his Ordinances, their hearts cannqt but faile them, both in 1 their refpetls to their fuperiours, and their courage inthemfdvcs. Piety is the Mol ther ofperfeCt fu!>jeetion; As all authority is derived from heaven, fo it is thence ellablifhed ; Thofe Governours that would commandthe hearcs ofmen,mull fl1ew them God in their faces. No Ifraelire can think himfelfrafewirhout a Prophet: Sart/hnd given them good E proofc ofhis fortitude, in his bre vitloryover rhe Ammonites, but rhen Proclamationwas made before the fight through all the Counrrey, that every man j)Jould. come up after Saul and Samu<l: If Samuel had not bin with Sad,rheywquld rath<r haveventured the lolfe oftheir Oxen, then the hazard of rhemfelves. How much lelfe /hould we prefume ofany fafety in our fpitiruall combats, wbenwe havenot a Propherro lead us~ It is all one (favin~r11atir favours· of more contempt) not ro have GodsSeers,and not toufe them: He can be no true Ifradite,that isnordillreffed with the wanrofaSamuc/. As one char had learned to begin his rule in obedience,Sau/ llaksTeven dayes'in Gilgal,ac.cording to theProphets direl.lion,andfull he looks lrng for Samuel, which had promifed his prefence;fix daies he expeets,and pmofrhe feventh, yet Sam•cl is not come : The Philifiims draw neere, the Ifraelites run aw~y, S•mtitl comes S fff not,
RkJQdWJsaXNoZXIy OTcyMjk=